Story+2000-04-17+Austin,+TX

(sings ‘It’s Alright’ and ‘Take Me to the River’) That’s right.....that’s where I wanna go tonight....I wanna go to that riverside....I wanna find that river of life....and that river of love.....and that river of faith.…and that river of hope....I wanna find that river of transformation where you can go and you can be changed.....I wanna find that river of resurrection where everybody gets a second chance......I wanna go to that river of sexual healing…and companionship….that river of happiness and joy…. that’s where I wanna go there tonight and I want you to go with me.....I need you to go with me because I can’t get there by myself....that’s why we’re here.....because you can’t get there, you can not get there by yourself….no Sir….no Sir….tonight I wanna throw a rock’n’roll exorcism…..I wanna have a rock’n’roll baptism….put me in that water….but once I stood, as a young man I stood one evening, I stood before a dark grove of trees and just like a little child, I was frightened to pass through those trees though I knew that on the other, on the other side was the river of life and cold beer at a reasonable price…..but I was paralyzed by a childish fear….then I seen a gypsy woman sitting amongst the trees and she called me forward and she said ‘Son, what you need, what you need is you need some help tonight….what’s your line ? what, what is your line ? what do you do ?….well, then, then what you need, Son, is you need a band, that’s what you need’....and that’s why I’d like to introduce tonight the dean of the university of musical perversity, the Secretary of intelligence, on the piano, Professor Roy Bittan....standing with me at the riverside, I’d like to introduce the Minister of faith and friendship, keeper of all that is righteous on E Street and star of the ‘Sopranos’-television show, Little Steven Van Zandt….standing with me on the riverside….I wanna introduce the foundation of the E Street nation, Southern man, Mr.Garry W.Tallent on the bass....standing with me on the riverside, I wanna introduce the man that brings the power night after night, the Minister of the mighty beat, star of Late Night Television, the righteous Max Weinberg....I wanna introduce the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren.... standing with me at the riverside, I wanna introduce the Minister of mystery and all things unfathomable on E Street, on the Hammond B-3 organ and accordion, Brother Dan Federici....now, brunettes are fine and blondes are fun but when it comes to getting a dirty job done, it takes a (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I said I gotta find myself a (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I said I´ve got to find my (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I’m looking for my baby (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I’ve got to find my girl now (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I’m searching, I’m creeping (crowd: ‘Red headed woman’) I’m begging, I’m pleading (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’) I’m often apologising (crowd : ‘Red headed woman’)(Patti sings a bit of ‘Rumble Doll’) …the First Lady of love, on the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa…..and now last but not least….last but not least….the Minister of soul, Secretary of the brotherhood, the sky falls, the earth trembles and if this was a righteous nation, the next president of the United States….do I have to say his name ?....do I have to say his name ?… say who ?….say who ?…say who ?….say who ?…say who ?…say who ?…say who ?…say who ?….say who ?….say who ?….”
 * 17.04.00 Austin, TX, middle of ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’**

‘‘Thank you….thank you very much, uh….gonna do this tonight for folks that are with us from the, uh….Capital Area Foodbank of Texas….they provide food and products to grass roots agencies serving people throughout Central Texas, helping Texas’ struggling citizens, there´s many, many, many people that the economy is not reaching….and Capital Area Foodbank helps them meet their daily needs so that there’s no child that needs to go to bed hungry now….they´ll be out there in the hall tonight but this is a state building so I guess they’re not allowed to take donations but please go up to them, they’ll provide you with information that´ll let you know how you can give a hand to the Capital Area Foodbank….”
 * 17.04.00 Austin, TX, intro to ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’**

´´Austin !….I said Austin !….but everywhere I´ve gone, I´ve seen people lost in confusion....I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness.…I´ve seen people lost in bitterness….I´ve seen people lost in them big cowboy hats….I´ve seen people lost in loneliness but tonight we’ve come thousands and thousands of miles and we’re on a search-and-rescue mission, we’re coming to get you, if you´ve been downhearted, disspirited, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, analysed, stigmatised, Republicanised, fractionalised, retro-psychedelized….I´m here tonight, I´m here tonight to re-educate you, to resuscitate you, to rededicate you, to regenerate you, to reconfiscate you, to reindoctrinate you, to recombobulate you, to resexualate you, to reliberate you with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory, with the majesty, with the mystery, with the ministry of rock and roll....with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory, with the majesty, with the mystery, with the ministry of rock and roll !....now, unlike my competitors, I will not, I shall not, I can not promise you life everlasting but I can promise you life right now!....and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say ´I´....”
 * 17.04.00 Austin, TX, middle of ‘Light of Day’**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//